FIRST TO THE JEWS
The Acts of the Apostles-Part 13
The Teaching Ministry of Rick Trice
\September 18, 2005
Trinity Fellowship
Acts 13:17 -14:28
To The Jews First
Even though Paul is the apostle who is to take Jesus to the gentiles, he first must preach Jesus to the Jews. God always meant for the Messiah to be shared with the Jews first.
(13:13-15)
Paul preaches to the Jews in the synagogue. When we’re following God, He gives us the opportunities to serve Him.
(13:16-39)
God has always cared about His chosen people
*exalted his people in
*brought them into the Promised Land
*gave them judges
*when they asked Him for a king, He gave them one
*through King David’s descendants, He gave them Jesus
*God fulfilled all prophecy regarding the messiah through the Jews.
*God raised Jesus from the dead in the midst of the Jews
(13:40-41)
Paul concludes his message with a warning to the Jews from Habakkuk 1:5:
“Behold you despisers, marvel and perish! For I work a work in your days. A work which you will by no means believe, though one were to declare it to you.”
Preaching To The Next Level
(13:42-43)
A week later, the whole city turns out to hear Paul and Barnabas preach! This time it’s Jew and gentiles together
(13:44-48)
When the Jews begin to resist God’s good news, Paul announces his mission to the gentiles, with a quote of prophecy from Isaiah (47) “I have set you as a light to the gentiles that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Shake Off The Dust
(13:49-52)
Paul and Barnabas are kicked out of town, but many have still believed in Jesus because of their preaching and boldness. It’s interesting that even though Paul knows what his ultimate job is, to travel the known world and share Jesus with the non-Jewish people of the world, God still requires him to start small; to start locally.
How many times has God revealed your work to you, maybe a great ministry that he wants to build up in you?
How many times does he then ask you to wait a bit; to do something a little simpler, and a little closer to home?
Maybe you’re wondering why you have not been released into your larger vision of what God wants to do with your life. You see the Bible says God wants to trust you in the little things first, and then when you obey, He will give you the bigger tasks to do.
Paul had to obey God in the little things first. He didn’t just jump up from where Jesus had knocked him down in the dirt of the
But God needed Paul to take things a step at a time. I think that’s the lesson today for us. Maybe God has been asking us to do something with the neighbors before we go conquer the world.
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